Equestria Girls--Disability Girls
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: When Sunset Shimmer returns to Equestria asking Twilight Sparkle for help regarding their friends, Twilight agrees and finds that the others are dealing with some serious physical disabilities. Twilight suspects Discord but there are some things that don't make sense.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So with the sequel to the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic movie 'Equestria Girls' coming in a few weeks I've started on an interesting story line which is actually fully formed. So I'll be able to finish it fairly quickly.

BTW, for fans of my 'Family Ties' SPN/NCIS crossover series, I will be working on a new chapter for that.

Back to this story. Now, each of the Mane Six-human forms, anyway-will be dealing with specific disabilities which tend to go with their personalities:

Applejack ends up paralyzed and can't really help on the farm much.

Rainbow Dash loses a leg so she's lost a step in her athletic abilities.

Pinkie Pie is deaf and now has to deal with the noise and chaos going on in her own mind.

The timid Fluttershy suffers from epilepsy which has resulted in very public seizures.

And Rarity is dealing with leukemia and has completely lost her hair.

So the summary goes like this: Some serious trouble befalls Twilight's friends in the Human World and she goes to help, suspecting a non-reformed Discord. But things aren't that simple especially when the Human Mane 6 doesn't have the Elements of Harmony. Or do they?

Please read, review, and let me know what you think.

* * *

MY LITTLE PONY—FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC: Disability Girls

Princess Twilight Sparkle sat before a jeweled mirror that had been set up in one of the smaller rooms of her new castle. Of course it was still weird to her that this impressive place was hers even though she had embraced her official title as the Princess of Friendship.

Still…the situation was overwhelming. She could remember when she first arrived in Ponyville, completely focused on her assigned duties for Princess Celestia and totally resistant to even the slightest notion of making friends.

And now she was a princess with her own role in Equestria and her own kingdom to watch over and protect. Twilight couldn't bring herself to think of the words 'rule over' because she didn't feel like that was her role…maybe someday, perhaps…

Focusing on the mirror before her, Twilight wondered about the world it led to and how everyone was in the other universe. She'd requested that the mirror be moved from the Crystal Empire to Ponyville and Cadence had been more than happy to accommodate her friend and sister-in-law.

Turning to leave the room and head back to her library, Twilight whirled around, jumping a bit and flying upwards for a moment when a marigold-colored unicorn with a yellow and red mane and tail tumbled through the mirror. "Sunset Shimmer? What are you doing here?"

xxxxx

Once Twilight had summoned her friends along with Princesses Celestia, Cadence, and Luna, the group gathered in the throne room of Rainbow Castle along with Discord, a draconequus who had gradually become a very good friend. Once everyone had assembled, Twilight nodded to Sunset Shimmer who began the story of why she was back in Equestria.

"It started just after the Fall Formal," Sunset explained. "Pinkie Pie was setting up for the school Christmas party when there was this huge explosion in the gym."

"The what party?" Applejack asked, confused. What the hay was Christmas?

"Winter holiday in the other world," Twilight replied. "I'll explain later."

Sunset Shimmer carried on with her tale. "Pinkie lost her hearing completely. Then Applejack and Rainbow Dash were finishing cleaning the gym a few days later when part of the ceiling collapsed on top of them."

Twilight gasped in shock and her face was a mix of horror and anxiety. She didn't want to think about what she would do if they'd… "B-But they're okay, right? I mean, they weren't hurt too bad, right?"

Sunset shook her head, regretfully. "Rainbow's leg was crushed. The doctors—the other world's version of healers—actually had to… to cut it off."

Applejack looked from Twilight to Rainbow Dash and could see the horror in her friends' eyes as the idea of her doppelganger's injury sank in. "So this other me…?" Applejack asked, looking at Sunset with a distinct look of trepidation. "How bad is it?"

"You—the other you, I mean—you broke your back," Sunset Shimmer explained. "You haven't been able to walk since the accident. The form you have in the other world—you just have two legs and you can't move them at all."

"What I don't understand is how all this happened," Rarity asked, looking at the other unicorn, with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "Two accidents of that magnitude seems highly unlikely."

But the bad news hadn't stopped coming. And after a moment Sunset continued. "I completely agree. Especially since Fluttershy was diagnosed with epilepsy—that's a disorder that occasionally makes her shake uncontrollably-and Rarity lost all of her hair because of treatment for cancer which is a disease that affects her blood."

Twilight left the room without another word, fighting tears as she went. While the rest of the other ponies and princesses queried Sunset Shimmer on the details of Twilight's friends from the other world, Applejack followed the newest alicorn princess and found her upstairs in the castle library.

"You want to go back there, don't you, sugarcube?" Applejack said, knowingly, as she approached her friend and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Find out what's going on and stop it?"

Twilight nodded as she looked around the library. "The problem is…what if it takes longer than three days? What if I'm stuck in that world for 30 moons?" Even without the _actual _Elements of Harmony, Twilight and her friends had still been able to band together to tackle numerous foes. They were a team and needed to be together to be at their strongest.

The country pony smiled reassuringly as she replied, "Don't worry about us, Twi. We can hold down the fort just fine till you figure out who's doin' what in the other world."

"Thanks, Applejack," Twilight replied, sincerely, as she hugged one of her dearest friends.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_In the human world…_

Near the stallion statue outside of Canterlot High School, the human versions of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie waited for the return of Sunset Shimmer and—they hoped—Twilight Sparkle.

As Rainbow Dash paced, she tried not to show how much the prosthetic leg she wore was hurting. True it had been a little over a year since the accident and she'd had the artificial limb for just over half that time but it still hurt. But she wouldn't show pain in front of her friends—they had enough to deal with without worrying about her.

No, Rainbow would just tough it out and work her hardest to get back to being the athlete she had been before. Besides… Scootaloo wanted Rainbow Dash to teach her how to play soccer this coming school year, and Canterlot High's best athlete couldn't let the kid down, right?

Until she lost her hearing, Pinkie Pie had no idea just how loud the thoughts running through her head were. It was never ending noise and sometimes she'd just start talking out loud about whatever was on her mind. And then there was the issue with learning sign language. Oh, it wasn't that she was slow to learn—far from it, in fact. She learned as fast as possible, but her friends—no quite as speedy—often had trouble understanding her. Then there was the fact that since Pinkie couldn't hear her own voice she often spoke faster and louder than before. It was all so confusing sometimes and beyond frustrating. But her parents were trying to get together enough money to allow Pinkie to get a cochlear implant which the doctors agreed would be a complete fix. She couldn't wait!

Fluttershy sat with her back against the side of the statue watching her friends. She felt separate from everyone these days and remembered when she'd had her first seizure. It had been in math class and she'd felt weird…disconnected…Then she'd felt like the colors and shapes were all swirling together and the last thing she was aware of was her body starting to tremble. Since then, she'd had nearly 75 seizures in varying degrees of severity.

With the new medications she was on, however, the events had become fewer and not as serious, but Fluttershy still wondered in today would be the day that she'd have another episode. It was something none of her other friends could ever really understand.

In her wheelchair, Applejack nervously watched the side of the statue that served as gateway to the magical land of Equestria—Twilight Sparkle's true home. With everything that had happened, AJ had wondered if everything was simply an unfortunate coincidence or if there was something far more sinister at work. If that was the case, then the 6 friends would need the power of the Equestrian pony princess.

Shifting a bit, Applejack did her best to ignore the pain in her back which was strange compared to the numbness in her lower body. She remembered waking up in the hospital with Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom standing around the bed telling her that because of the injuries to her spine, she was paralyzed from the waist down and the odds of any meaningful recovery were very slim. Still, the spinal injury was incomplete and Applejack's physical therapists disagreed with the orthopedic surgeons' prognosis. It might take a long time and a lot of hard work, but the PT's were sure that AJ would walk again.

As the group continued to wait, they each thought about the two friends not present: Rarity and Sunset Shimmer.

Rarity's cancer had hit fast. One day she was fine and talking about submitting her new fashion designs to a magazine in Philadelphia, the next, she'd passed out in history class after a nosebleed and was taken to the hospital where the leukemia had been diagnosed.

The following week, she'd started chemotherapy and shortly afterwards, her perfectly coifed hair began falling out. But still, the fashion maven would not let it get her down. In fact, the previous month, she'd started designing her own line of scarves, wraps, and other head-ware for other people going through chemo related hair loss.

Today, though, Rarity was at the local medical center for her treatment where—everyone knew full well—she'd be holding court with her fellow cancer patients just like a queen. Not that the other patients minded, however. Some of them had even taken the teenager's generous and courageous spirit to heart and used it to find new life and new energy to fight their own battles.

And then there was Sunset Shimmer.

The young woman had spent many weeks apologizing and trying to act as the rest of her friends did in an effort to find her place in the group. And once she saw her new friends dealing with their various physical ailments, she started to try and help each adapt to their new lives. With Rarity, Sunset Shimmer helped out with the fashionista's new lines—modeling or dropping off new designs if the other teenager wasn't up to it.

With Fluttershy, Sunset tried to keep the young woman from hiding away completely as she was prone to doing if she'd had a seizure in school or some other public location.

On weekends, Sunset had started helping out at Sweet Apple Acres—the apple farm that had been in Applejack's family for generations. With AJ out of commission, Sunset Shimmer did her best to help with the chores and the apple harvests. It was hard work, but the young woman felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment every time she was at the farm. And, to be honest, there really was nothing more refreshing after a hard day's work than a slice of homemade apple pie and a bottle of fizzy apple cider.

It had been Sunset Shimmer who had first encouraged Pinkie Pie to learn sign language and the first of Pinkie's friends to join in on the lessons. Plus, whenever anyone tried to tease the bubby teenager, Sunset was there almost immediately to defend her friend…if Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't get there first, that is.

Of all Sunset's newfound friends, Rainbow Dash had been the hardest to help…usually owing to the fact that the young woman kept insisting that she didn't need help, didn't need to take it easy, and really wasn't in that much pain. Of course, Fluttershy liked to argue that Twilight Sparkle had stated that Rainbow's Element of Harmony was loyalty, not honesty.

Still, Sunset Shimmer kept a close eye on Rainbow Dash and would get the others together if the young athlete showed signs of pushing herself too far.

Everyone's thoughts and musings were brought to a halt as the side of the stautue that acted as the gateway to Equestria glowed for a moment before two figures came though.

"Good to see you again, Twilight," Applejack said, beaming at Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, it's been so long," Fluttershy added, hugging Twilight briefly. Looking at the others, she went on. "Sunset Shimmer told you what's been happening?"

Twilight nodded as she tried to get used to being on two feet once more. "I don't know exactly what's been going on," she stated up front. "But I might have an idea." Before she could elaborate, she noticed that one of her friends was missing. Remembering what Sunset Shimmer had said back in Equestria, she asked, "Where's Rarity? Is she okay?"

"Rarity's got her treatment today," Rainbow Dash explained. "But she should be home soon. We can meet her at the coffee shop. I'll text her and let her know you're here, Twilight."

With a sudden gasp, Pinkie Pie seemed to verbally explode as she burst out, "OHMYGOSH I almost forgot! I've been keeping an eye on Flash Sentry for you, Twilight, and between you and me, he is still SOOOOO in love with you! I mean, I even tried asking him out just as a test to see if he was still totally into you and he totally is but what did you expect? I mean you're smart, funny, pretty, and not to mention the whole being a princess thing which—"

"PINKIE!" Four of the five friends shouted, three of them signaling that the bubbly teenager needed to tone it down.

Signing as she spoke, Sunset Shimmer added, "Twilight hasn't learned sign language yet but if I know her, she'll have it down in a few days."

"That reminds me," Applejack said, a thought forming in her mind. "Don't we have a deadline we're workin' under?"

When the others looked at Twilight, the Equestrian princess shook her head, decisively. "Not this time. I'll stay as long as it takes. The portal opens every 30 moons so logically that's every 30 nights."

"Well, then what are we hanging around here for?" Rainbow Dash said, excitedly. "Let's do it!"

xxxxxxx

As the group headed for the Leaf and Bean coffeehouse, Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie taught Twilight some basic words and phrases in sign language as well as the name signs for everyone in the group.

"When you're using sign language everything gets shortened," Pinkie explained, talking in her usual 100-miles-an-hour speed. "So you're not using as many words as if you were talking out loud which is one of the things I don't like about it because I love talking and it's really hard for me because now I can't hear what I'm saying which had made for some really funny moments but it's still kind of awkward and –oops!" She stopped as Twilight signed 'slow down'.

"Its okay, Pinkie," Twilight replied, signing at the same time. She wanted to learn more about using this language that was completely dependent on hand signals and signs. It was fascinating to say the least.

Inside the coffee shop, the group found Rarity sitting at one of the tables with a cup of her favorite apple-berry tea. "Twilight!" She said, brightly, even though her tone was a bit tired. Still, she got up and hugged her friend. "Oh, you haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Twilight sat down and looked away when she caught herself staring at Rarity's lack of hair.

Rarity—spotting the look right away—smiled. "Oh, don't worry about it, Twilight," she insisted. "I'm used to it by now. Besides, as dreadfully icky as the chemotherapy makes me feel, not having to worry about bad hair days is a very small bonus."

Once the group had cups of coffee and a plate of oatmeal cookies to share, Twilight shared her suspicions with the others. "Back in Equestria, my friends and I came across an enemy that reveled in chaos and disorder. His name is Discord. Back there he was made up of body parts of different animals. I don't know what he'd look like here."

"Well, I can't recall seeing anyone strange-looking hanging around," Rainbow Dash replied after a moment. "And besides—that explains me and Applejack…maybe Pinkie Pie. But it doesn't explain Rarity and Fluttershy."

That was the other problem that had confounded Twilight Sparkle, both here and in Equestria. Back home, Discord might have the magical abilities to cause Fluttershy's epilepsy or Rarity's cancer, but not in this world. Not without magic…unless he'd found some sort of source in this world.

xxxxx

Not being able to sleep in the high school library this time around, Twilight accepted Applejack's offer to stay at Sweet Apple Acres.

The 7 friends swiftly agreed to reconvene the following morning at the farm for breakfast and to come up with some ideas as to how they could start investigating what was going on.

Arriving at the farm and going into the house, Twilight paused at the incredible aroma in the air. It was rich and spicy and maybe just a touch smoky. There was also the fabulous scent of a fresh baked apple pie.

"We're home, Granny Smith!" Applejack called as she wheeled into the kitchen. Looking at the pot simmering away on the stove, she headed towards it and gave the thick stew a good stir, a wistful look on her face.

"AJ!" said a woman with long blonde hair pulled back in a braid. She had the same color eyes as Applejack and as she came into the kitchen, she smiled warmly. "Honey, you didn't say you were bringing company. Who's your friend?"

Twilight looked at the mystery woman and with a jolt, she realized that this had to be Applejack's mother. "I'm Twilight Sparkle," she said, hurriedly. "I'm visiting from—"

"Philadelphia," Applejack supplied, swiftly. "She and I have been penpals for a long time now." Looking at Twilight, she said, "Twilight, this is my mom, Honeycrisp."

Twilight quietly shook hands with Applejack's mother before signaling to AJ that the two needed to talk in private. "It's very nice to meet you," Twilight added, smiling. "Um, Applejack and I need to talk about something. Give us a minute?"

Without any further explanation, Twilight led her friend out of the room before Applejack took the hint and headed into her bedroom and closed the door. "What's goin' on, Twilight? It's just my mother. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Twilight slowly sat down on the bed, unsure of how to break the news to her best friend. "Well, you see… In Equestria, your parents are… dead."

Applejack could only stare in disbelief at her friend. After a long moment, she studied Twilight's expression and—as horrible an idea as it was to consider—knew the Equestrian Princess spoke the truth. "How'd it happen?" she wanted to know.

Twilight shrugged, uncertainly. "I don't know. You never really talk about it so I always figured it happened when you were young. Maybe right after Apple Bloom was born."

Thinking of her younger sister, Applejack felt a stab of heartache as she realized that in the other world the kid would have probably never known her parents. Seeing that Twilight looked saddened that she had shared such disturbing information, AJ put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, sugarcube. Knowing what things could be like, it makes dealing with this—" she gestured at the wheelchair and her lower body. "—a little easier."

x

At dinner, Honeycrisp dished up bowls of the delicious smelling stew that had been simmering on the stove while Granny Smith pulled the apple pies out of the over and Applejack's father, Cider Apple, brushed melted butter over the top of the cornbread cooling on the counter.

"You're not a vegetarian, are you, Twilight?" Cider asked as he studied his daughter's friend.

"Well, usually," Twilight admitted, but even though she would have preferred a salad, she was very curious about the stew sitting before her. "But I'm always up for trying something new."

"That's the spirit!" Granny Smith exclaimed, happily. "Dig in, y'all, before the chili gets cold."

Twilight took a bite of the chili and chewed a moment before swallowing. This was like nothing she'd ever tasted before! It was rich and spice and there was the sharp acidity of tomatoes. It was… meaty. When she'd been in this world previously, Twilight had researched the customs of humans and had been baffled as to how they could eat cows, pigs and chickens—animals she spoke with and cared for back home.

Still, she had to admit… the chili was quite good. Better than that in fact. It was amazing—as was the cornbread. Twilight surprised Applejack's family as well as herself by eating two bowls of chili and a fair portion of the cornbread.

"Now, make sure you save some room for dessert," Granny Smith admonished, as she saw Twilight contemplating licking out her bowl. "You've got to have some of my apple pie and Cider's homemade vanilla ice cream."

"My dad makes the best ice cream in town," Apple Bloom piped up with a grin. "And he's been testing flavors all week!"

Grinning at Applejack's parents, Twilight said, simply, "I can't wait."


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So after watching 'Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks' I wanted to kind of use that for how I wrote Sunset Shimmer who is becoming one of my favorite characters. People underestimate her, I think.

Also, in regards to Rarity... don't worry. She'll be fine by the end of this story. I just want to put her through the wringer first.

And in case someone doesn't know how I do things since I'm throwing in some seriously emotional moments, this chapter is short. Next one should be longer.

Since it applies later on, words in **bold** are meant to be in sign language.

* * *

Chapter 2

The next morning, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset Shimmer arrived at Sweet Apple Acres just after 9. Honeycrisp promptly told the group of friends to have a seat before starting to put breakfast on the table.

"So where's Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, curiously when Applejack came into the dining room alone.

"Sleepin' in," Applejack replied, simply, as she wheeled up to the table. "She was sawin' logs when I got up this morning."

"Oh, that's nice," Rainbow snapped, sarcastically. "Why should we interrupt the Princess' beauty sleep? It's not like we need her help or anything." Crossing her arms in a huff, she gave an annoyed glance in the direction of the guest bedroom.

Applejack could understand her friend's annoyance, but she had to defend Twilight. "That's not really fair, Rainbow Dash. For all we know she was up half the night tryin' to figure out a way to find this Discord fellow."

"Besides," Rarity added, being sure to keep her voice down so Applejack's mother didn't hear. "We have no idea what Twilight has been doing back home. For all we know this is as close as she's ever had to a vacation."

That seemed to put Rainbow Dash over the edge and she snapped again. "Well, I know what she _hasn't_ been doing—getting a leg amputated or losing her ability to walk! She hasn't been dealing with cancer or epilepsy or losing her hearing!"

"Rainbow Dash has a point," Fluttershy said, softly. She hated admitting it, but there was some truth to her friend's words. "Twilight may be our friend but she hasn't been facing the problems we've faced. Maybe she should give us a little more consideration."

"You said it!" Pinkie Pie joined in, speaking and signing in her usual rapid-fire mode. "For all we know, she was thinking about finding Flash Sentry and getting together with him instead of helping out her friends!"

Rarity looked at each of her friends in turn with an admonishing gaze. "All of you should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves," she chastised. "No, Twilight Sparkle has never dealt with any of the physical calamities we've been dealing with. But she's dealt with things we can only imagine—monsters, spells… being an actual Princess. I can't imagine that's a simple task for _anyone_." Seeing that she had her friends' full attention, Rarity went on. "And yes, Rainbow Dash, maybe Twilight does need to better understand our predicament, but we need to also take the time to understand _hers_. That's what _friends_ do after all."

"Sorry!" Twilight said quickly as she entered the room looking embarrassed. Sitting down at the table between Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy, she explained. "Trying to sleep with wings is _really_ uncomfortable. This was the first good night's sleep I've had in months."

Before anyone else could say anything, Pinkie Pie silenced the others and signed as she pointed. **'Applejack, who's that talking to your mom?'**

Everyone looked and Applejack shook her head, replying, **'No idea. Never seen him before.'**

The man was fairly tall and professional looking and as the girls watched, the man seemed to be unaware that they were listening to the conversation.

"I'm more than willing to offer triple what the farm is worth," the stranger said with a charming smile. "We'd, of course, want to keep Sweet Apple Acres in business as you are the town's sole apple orchard and cider mill. No one else makes cider and baked goods quite as good as you."

Honeycrisp looked at the offered papers thoughtfully before turning to Cider Apple. "Honey, this kinda money… Think of AJ. This would cover her medical bills… It would even be enough for her college fund."

"This farm has been in my family for more than 100 years," Cider argued. But as he looked at the papers, he finally asked, "Can we… have some time to talk about this?"

Twilight looked at each of her friends in turn before finally focusing on Applejack. "Are your parents selling the farm?"

"First I've ever heard of it," Applejack replied, dumbfounded.

xxxxxxx

While Fluttershy headed out for a doctor's appointment and Applejack talked with her parents about the impending sale of Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash headed for the town library to go on the internet and look up the mysterious man who wanted to buy Sweet Apple Acres.

Rarity and Sunset Shimmer, however, headed to the boutique as the pair talked about the current goings-on.

"What's troubling you, darling?" Rarity asked, seeing that Sunset Shimmer looked depressed about something. "And don't try saying 'nothing' because it's obviously something."

Sunset shrugged as she glanced down the street towards Canterlot High School. "School's starting next week. Guess I'm just worried about what's going to happen… and if everyone's still going to be hung up on what I did at the Fall Formal."

"That is all in the past, dear," Rarity assured her. "You've clearly shown that you are not the same person as before."

"I guess," Sunset muttered, not sure if she believed the reassurance. "Last year I just felt like everyone was waiting for me to mess up and go back to being the bad girl. How do I know this year is going to be any different?"

Thinking on that for a moment as they neared the boutique, Rarity finally shrugged. "We can never know what the future holds, darling. We can only take each day as it comes. I mean, for all _I_ know, I might not even make it till next week."

Sunset Shimmer stopped dead as she stared at Rarity. "Wait, what are talking about? I thought you said you were doing okay?"

Rarity gave a smile that was half reassurance and half acceptance. "I may have exaggerated just a wee bit," she admitted, finally. "The doctors are increasing my chemo treatments day after tomorrow since my last blood tests weren't showing the improvement we were hoping for."

Looking at her friend with concern, Sunset asked, simply, "How bad are we talking? Seriously?"

"I may have to be admitted to the hospital next week," Rarity admitted, sadly. Seeing that her friend needed some cheering up after such heavy news, she added, "Come with me. I have something for you."

Once inside the shop, Sunset Shimmer watched her friend as she went to cabinet and pulled out a large case before opening it up to reveal 6 small jewelry boxes, each with a different design on the front—a pink butterfly, an orange apple, a blue balloon, a red lightning bolt, a purple star, and a red and yellow sun. "I made these months ago," Rarity explained, holding out the last box. "I thought it might be a good time to give you yours."

Sunset Shimmer opened the box revealing a small pendant of a red and gold sun on a leather cord. "It's beautiful," she said, appreciatively.

Rarity took the necklace and put it around Sunset's neck with a smile. "I know it's been hard on you trying to change from who you used to be. And I also know you wanted to stand up for Twilight earlier."

Sunset fiddled with the pendant as she spoke. "I know Rainbow Dash was just being honest but none of you know what it was like being the student of a _princess_… much less being one yourself. Twilight came back because she wants to help and she really didn't have to do that. I don't think it was fair, the way the others were acting."

"Never be afraid of being honest and telling others how you feel, darling," Rarity said, kindly. "Even your friends."

As the friends talked, neither noticed the magical shimmer emanating from the pendant.

xxxxxxxx

In the library, Twilight felt troubled by the fact that she didn't feel like she'd actually be able to help her friends. In fact, the more she thought about it, the whole trip here was a waste of time.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier," Rainbow Dash said, quietly as she joined Twilight at the computers. "Rarity was right. I mean, you're an actual princess. You've got lots of stuff going on right and—"

"No, _you_ were right," Twilight admitted, looking at her friend. "I don't know what it's been like for all of you." She sighed as she added, "What I _do_ know is that I'm suddenly wondering if this is magical at all."

Rainbow Dash looked around to see where Pinkie Pie was and after confirming that the deaf teenager was nowhere about, she quickly worked on the computer to bring up her email account. "Let me show you something, Twilight."

Twilight read the email and did a double take at the last part. "A full college scholarship? That's a good thing, right?"

Rainbow Dash leaned back in her chair before explaining. "After I lost my leg, this guy comes to see me in the hospital. Says he'll take care of everything—hospital bills, getting me a state of the art prosthetic… you name it. Then last week, I get this email from him saying he'll give me all the money I need to go to any college I want… whether I play sports or not."

Her critical mind going to work, Twilight asked, "Was this the same guy talking to Applejack's parents?"

Nodding, Rainbow replied, "I didn't recognize him at first 'cause I was pretty out of it the first time I saw him. But I remember his voice. It's the same guy."

It was then that Twilight realized that she, too, recognized the voice of the man who had offered to buy Sweet Apple Acres. "It's Discord. I'm sure of it."

"Then what's his plan?" Rainbow Dash wanted to know. It didn't make a lick of sense. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Twilight asked, worried that she wouldn't like the answer.

"Twilight, are you _sure_ there's no magic here he can tap into?"

The idea was unsettling to say the least and after considering the trouble Discord had caused in Equestria before becoming good, Twilight had a pretty good idea of what his first move would be. "The first time Discord went after me and my friends in Equestria, he tried to split us up by turning the Elements of Harmony."

Rainbow Dash thought about that for a moment and as Pinkie Pie came over, she realized that slowly, they had all lost touch with their Elements of Friendship.

Applejack had stopped being honest with her friends—and herself—about how much pain she was in on any given day.

Pinkie Pie didn't really laugh as much and she was often touchy about being deaf.

Fluttershy tried to keep her usual calm, kind demeanor, but lately she'd been—for lack of a better word—snippy.

Even Rainbow Dash had been about to turn on Twilight just because the princess had slept in late that morning.

The only one who seemed immune to the whole thing was Rarity and the more Rainbow Dash thought about it, the more she realized that Rarity might just be the key to putting a stop to Discord.

xxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHOR'S NOTES: You know, as much as I really love the character of Zecora she is NOT the easiest one to write, especially with the constant rhyming thing. But hopefully I did my best.

Also, short chapters will be the norm for know since my creativity is coming in waves so I'll write when I have an idea and post then instead of waiting until I have a longer chapter. Hope y'all don't mind.

Chapter 3

* * *

As Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle headed down the street after their visit to the library, Twilight voiced a question she'd been pondering for a while. "Have either of you talked to Zecora about what's been happening?" Seeing her two friends puzzled looks, a sneaking suspicion crept up. Remembering way back to when the group of friends first encountered the enchantress, Twilight recalled everyone's fear and prejudice of the zebra. Obviously the same held true for Zecora's human form. "Let me guess," Twilight said, eying Pinkie and Rainbow. "No, you haven't because you're afraid of her."

"Who said anything about being afraid?" Pinkie Pie replied, defensively, her signing becoming sharper as she spoke. "She's just a weird, kooky person!"

Rainbow Dash agreed as she eyed Twilight. "Pinkie's right. I mean do you have any idea of the creepy stuff she's got in that shop of hers? Besides, how could she possibly know what's been going on?"

But Twilight said nothing as she led her friends down the street, remembering the signs she'd seen for the herbalist shop. After a couple blocks, she smiled as she saw a sign for Everfree Herbals. Going up to the shop and knocking on the door, Twilight waited until Zecora opened the door, smiling brightly at the three teenagers.

"Well, isn't this a delight? Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Princess Twilight," Zecora said in her usual rhyming style. "Please come in and have some tea," she went on, standing aside to let the others inside. "And then you can say why you have visited me."

'**How did she know you were a princess?' **Pinkie signed to the others, looking confused. I mean, sure there was the whole thing with the Fall Formal but that had been more than a year ago. And Zecora hadn't even been present.

'**How does Zecora know anything?'** Twilight replied, whispering as softly as possible as she signed. She was rather starting to like using sign language, honestly. **'I always thought she was an alicorn in disguise back home.'**

Zecora laughed as she poured tea for her guests who took seats around a table near the back of the shop. "Alicorn magic I do not possess. Otherwise my shop would not be such a mess." Seeing the teenagers' astonished looks, she sat down as well. "I understand you are in a fix. What enemy, may I ask, threatens the six?"

Between the three of them, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Twilight explained the situation while sipping the tea offered by the herbalist. When the tale had concluded, Twilight looked expectant as she asked, "So what do you think, Zecora? What should we do now?"

The ever-knowledgeable enchantress leaned back in her own chair, lacing her hands together and looking thoughtful. "Princess Twilight, the wrong question you ask. Finding out what motivates Discord should be your task. I will give you a clue to help you along. He has help from the siren's song."

"You mean the mythical creatures from Greek mythology that lured sailors to their deaths?" Rainbow asked, slightly puzzled. When she caught Pinkie and Twilight's stares, she shrugged as she reached a hand down to rub her leg just above the prosthetic which was starting to ache sharply. "I like Greek mythology, alright? Doesn't mean I'm an egghead."

Zecora could see the hidden pain on Rainbow Dash's face and held out her hands. "Give me your hand, my dear, and I will tell you what you wish to hear." Taking the rainbow-haired teen's hand, she studied the lines carefully. "There is much you try to hide. The pain and anger you hold inside. But this is easy to mend by relying on trusted friends."

At first Rainbow Dash didn't understand what anger she was supposed to have, but the more she thought about Discord and what he had somehow done to her friends, she did feel it bubbling up inside her, like a pot of water on a hard boil. She wanted to find Discord and beat him down and get him to confess his hand in everything. But the funny part was that the more Rainbow thought of Zecora's words, the more she wondered if Discord was truly the mastermind.

Turning to Pinkie Pie, Zecora gave a single nod to Rainbow Dash as an indicator that she wished the teenager to act as interpreter for her deaf friend. "Your deafness prohibits you from hearing a thing. But in truth it's the silence that is most deafening."

"What does _that_ mean?" Rainbow Dash asked, completely confused.

Twilight, however understood almost immediately. "Think about it, Rainbow Dash—Pinkie's energy, thoughts, and randomness…. That's all she can hear in her head right now."

Rainbow looked at her friend as she thought about that. To be honest, she hadn't really thought about what it was like for Pinkie Pie. "I'm sorry, Pinkie," she said, sincerely. "I guess I never really thought about what it's like just being stuck with your own thoughts all the time."

"Don't worry about it," Pinkie Pie insisted, signing as she spoke. "I think I'm starting to get used to it, but sometimes it's just really hard and sometimes I can't even sleep at night because it's just so noisy in my head which means I'm drinking more caffeine during the day and—" Seeing the others laughing, Pinkie felt something stirring inside her and she realized that this was what she missed the most being deaf—the sounds of laughter. The guffaws, the chuckles, the snickers and snorts… it seemed to be something she lived for and without the sounds of laughter, she felt like there was something absent from her life.

Finally it was Twilight's turn and she was more than eager to hear what Zecora had to say. Back in Equestria, the enchantress was a friend, confidant, advisor, and mentor and Twilight couldn't even count the ways she'd helped her and her friends. Holding out her hand to Zecora, however, she was surprised when the herbalist didn't take it.

"Princess Twilight, understand," Zecora explained, kindly. "With you, I do not need your hand. I know quite well your quandary—you seem to lack the Elements of Harmony."

So many times Twilight Sparkle had been curious how Zecora could possible know everything she did. "Back in Equestria," she explained. "—my friends and I used the Elements of Harmony to turn Discord to stone. But we had to give up the Elements in order to save the Tree of Harmony."

Zecora smiled knowingly and she took Twilight's hand in hers as she spoke. "The pendants you no longer have, but the Elements of Harmony still guide your path."

"Just because our necklaces are gone doesn't mean that the Elements themselves are gone," Twilight translated, nodding in understanding. Still, there had to be a way to use the power of the Elements here in this world. True, Twilight and her friends were able to defeat Sunset Shimmer last time but that was because they were able to come back together after being driven apart. This time they were already together but still lacked… something. Maybe in this world they really _did_ need the Elements themselves.

But Zecora seemed to sense this and as she picked up the empty tea cups to refill them. "In finding your Elements, there may be a glimmer. You should talk to your friends Rarity and Sunset Shimmer." Studying the three friends for a while longer, she sensed there was something more that Twilight Sparkle wanted to talk about. "There is something you are holding back," she noted. "Something about your friend, Applejack?"

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash spoke up, sounding annoyed. "Discord is trying to steal Sweet Apple Acres! He's told Applejack's family he wants to buy the orchard!"

Nodding in understanding, Zecora replied, "You are worried he means the Apple Family harm and he is covering this by buying the farm." Leaning back in her chair she thought about everything she knew and what she had learned. Twilight was right in that Zecora had… connections with the land of Equestria but the details could wait for another time. For now, though, the enchantress had a few more questions. "Tell me, Twilight, in your home—is Discord free or turned to stone?"

"He's free," Twilight replied. "And before I came here he did prove that he truly wanted to be good. He helped me and my friends defeat someone who wanted to destroy all of Equestria." But the more she thought about the Discord in Equestria, the more she understood something she'd been puzzling over. "But back home he was different. He learned the power and magic of friendship and how much he really cared about all of us. Here, it's almost as if he's trying to split everyone up by preying on their weaknesses."

The three looked hopefully at Zecora who remained silent for a while before speaking. "I know you were hoping I'd have a quick fix to stop Discord and his tricks. To fight him back you must be strong and used the magic you've had all along."

Something Zecora mentioned before was pinging around in Pinkie Pie's head and she asked, "What were you saying before about Sunset Shimmer and Rarity? What do they have to do with these Elements of Harmony?"

Zecora had been wondering when one of them would ask the question. She remembered being out in the nearby woods looking for supplies for her shop and finding a set of small gems, almost as if they had been left there by someone… someone who had tried to keep them hidden. Taking the gems into town, she'd found Rarity who had been delighted and had instantly talked about how perfect they would be for her friends. "To be short, in answer to your question, Miss Rarity unknowingly has the Elements in her possession." Seeing the teenagers about to hurry out of the shop, she stopped them with a warning. "But the Elements will not be enough on their own. Only when their true essence is shown."

While Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie looked confused by Zecora's statement, Twilight understood exactly what she meant. Like when the six friends first discovered the Elements of Harmony in the Everfree Forest back in Equestria, they would first have to prove that they possessed the Element they represented.

But as Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie left Zecora's shop, one more question nagged: What Element of Harmony did Sunset Shipper represent?


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So one of the things I've been thinking about with this story is—how is Applejack's mother, Honeycrisp, alive in the human world if she isn't in Equestria? Well, that's answered here along with what's up with Scootaloo's parents? Answer—it's not pretty. Like… It's really bad.

Chapter 4

* * *

After a long day of discussing the possible sale of Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack felt beat and more confused than ever. Not to mention that the more she mulled over what Twilight had told her about her doppelganger in Equestria, the more Applejack began to feel guilty about not being honest with her family. Going to her laptop computer, she pulled up the photos from the Fall Formal, smiling as she looked at her friends—particularly the pictures of the six of them with full pony ears, tails and wings.

She'd never told her parents about what was going on but with Discord and everything else… She wondered if perhaps it was time for her to tell them the truth.

"Everything okay?" Honeycrisp said as she entered her eldest daughter's room. "You barely ate anything at dinner, sugercube." Seeing Applejack's nervousness and glancing briefly at the picture of the computer screen, she sat down on the bed. "If this is about you and Twilight Sparkle being more than friends… sweetheart, I'm okay with that. If you're happy, that's all that matters."

Catching on as to what her mother was saying, Applejack quickly corrected her. "No, Mom, it's nothin' like that. I…" But looking at the picture once again, she sighed. "It's complicated." And after a moment, she told her mom the whole story—from Twilight being a pony princess in the magical land of Equestria to the suspicions of the seven friends that someone named Discord was attempting to hurt or divide them. At the end of the tale, Applejack even showed Honeycrisp the photo of the six friends with the tails, pony ears, and—in the case of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy—wings.

At first, Honeycrisp didn't know what to say. She knew Applejack had been hiding something but this was far beyond anything she could ever have imagined. "Element of Honesty, huh?" she said, finally, smiling. "Does have a certain ring to it."

Grateful that her mom believed her and didn't think she was crazy, Applejack decided to voice the thought she'd been holding back all day. "Mom, this guy who wants to buy the farm…I think it's really Discord and I think he's up to something. The only thing is… I have no idea what. Why would he help us? I mean, could he not really be as bad as Twilight thinks he is?"

For the longest time, mother and daughter just looked at one another. The more Honeycrisp thought about the questions, the more she realized that this was one of those rare times that the decision wasn't hers to make—it was Applejack's. "What do you think? What do you feel is the honest truth?"

Applejack thought about it for the longest time before she realized what she knew to be the truth. "I think Discord's up to something and it's up to us to stop him."

"Then get some sleep," Honeycrisp replied with a smile. "Tomorrow, you and your friends can start figuring out what to do."

* * *

Leaving Applejack and her family alone for the evening, Twilight gratefully accepted Rainbow Dash's sleepover invitation but when the two got to Rainbow's house, she was surprised to find Scootaloo sitting on the front porch with a fully stuffed backpack, duffel bag, and computer bag.

Even more surprising was that Rainbow Dash didn't seem surprised in the slightest."Go on inside, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said with a smile. "Just give me and Scoots here a couple minutes alone."

Twilight complied and went into the kitchen where, after some searching and trouble, managed to get a pot of hot water boiling for tea. In the pantry, she found a stash of cookies and after a little more work, was able to get a respectable meal together.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said as she entered the kitchen and went to the phone attached to the wall. "Give me a minute and I'll order us a couple pizzas."

"It's no trouble," Twilight insisted but acquiesced to the alternate dinner plans. While Rainbow made the call, she looked at Scootaloo and asked, "Are you spending the night, too, Scootaloo?"

The younger teenager looked nervously at Rainbow Dash as she replied, "If that's okay? I mean, Twilight's already here…a-and I can go ask Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle if it's not."

But Rainbow waved away the argument and smile. "Of course it's okay. Mom and Dad are out of town so you can crash in their room if you want to." Once Scootaloo had taken her things upstairs, Rainbow waited until she heard the door close before taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Scootaloo's parents are getting a divorce and it's been really hard on her, especially since…" she hesitated for a moment or two, suddenly worried that she was betraying her young friend's confidence. "Since her dad's been drinking and… taking things out on her."

Twilight wasn't even aware of sitting down at the table. True, there were a lot of similarities between this world and Equestria, but never once had Twilight ever heard of anypony hitting their children. "Why doesn't her mother do something about it? Get help, or something?"

"Because it's not that easy, Twilight," Rainbow explained. "Scootaloo's mom didn't press charges for years and when she finally did separate from her husband…. Well, let's just say it didn't go over well. Then social services found out about the abuse and put Scootaloo in a foster home where she was hurt even worse. She ended up in the hospital. So now, when her dad drinks she comes over here."

Looking upstairs and thinking of what the poor young girl was dealing with, Twilight asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Rainbow shrugged, uncertainly, and after a while, she said, "Mom and Dad are getting licensed as foster parents so Scootaloo can stay with us. We're also trying to help get her dad arrested for assault but the police don't know what a creep he really is."

* * *

It was well after 1 in the morning and Honeycrisp still couldn't sleep. Everything she'd been talking about with Applejack was rattling around in her mind and keeping her from relaxing. Plus, the more she thought about the land of Equestria, the more Honeycrisp thought about when she was in labor with Apple Bloom.

Macintosh had been her first pregnancy and relatively normal.

Applejack had the easiest by far and the only pregnancy that had resulted in NO morning sickness whatsoever.

But when she was carrying Apple Bloom… that had been the hardest.

Honeycrisp had been sick the entire time and spent almost the entire pregnancy in the hospital on bed rest. Her body seemed to go haywire and she'd developed gestational diabetes which thankfully had gone away once she'd given birth.

But the night Apple Bloom was born was the night mother and daughter had nearly been lost.

It was a month and a half before her due date and the contractions were more painful than Honeycrisp could remember. And then she heard the doctor's frantic shouts as she started slipping into unconsciousness, only faintly hearing the words 'abruption' and 'blood loss'.

And then she felt floaty and beside her was a tan colored pony with a yellow mane. The pony was also in labor and as the two locked eyes, Honeycrisp reached out a hand to touch the soft mane.

_"We're losing her… the baby, too…"_

The pony's eyes were soft, warm, and loving and as she nosed Honeycrisp's hand, the human felt something flow into her as she heard a soft whinny coming from the newborn foal.

"_She's coming back! The baby looks perfect! I-I don't understand…"_

After she woke up in the hospital after a week in a coma, Honeycrisp didn't know what to make of the vision and even after being home for a while she wasn't sure how to tell her family about what had happened.

When the clock turned to 2am, Honeycrisp finally gave up on sleep and slipped out of bed and pulled on jeans, shoes, and a sweater before grabbing her purse and keys and heading outside. Maybe a drive would help soothe her thoughts.

Heading into town, she was surprised to see that there was still one shop open but getting closer, she realized that it was Zecora's Everfree Herbals. Pulling into a parking spot and turning the car off, Honeycrisp got out and walked up to the door, opening it quietly.

"My dear Honeycrisp… You look distressed. What is keeping you from your rest?" Zecora led the tired mother to the table in back and soon had a mug of tea in front of her.

Honeycrisp sipped the tea and after a while relayed the entire tale Applejack had told her. "I know it sounds unbelievable but it's true. I-I wouldn't have believed it myself, but…" She paused again before also telling the herbalist/enchantress about the vision she'd had when she was in labor with Apple Bloom.

It was very rare that Zecora didn't speak in rhyme, especially since that was how her parents had always spoken to her. But she felt that, in this case, directness was the best approach. "In this other world, you died in childbirth. But the death was not in vain for you allowed yourself in _this_ world to live along with your child. One sacrifice to save two."

* * *

In an old, ramshackle house well beyond the edge of town, Discord sat at his computer, perusing the notes he'd made on Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack. While it was true that he'd caused the injuries to Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, he was unable to take credit for the other two. Rarity's illness was simply bad luck although he did enjoy the irony of Fluttershy's predicament.

"Give us back our talismans or I swear we'll—"

"Oh, do shut up, will you?" Discord snapped, anger mixed with annoyance in his voice as he looked at the three Sirens who were chained together in the living room. "I think we've firmly established by now that the three of you are completely helpless without these." He held up three red gems on black cords.

It was purely by chance that he'd witnessed the three using what meager magic they possessed and after cornering them outside of a diner it was the work of a few minutes to convince the three that he could help them get their full power back. Then it was only a matter of knocking the three girls out and taking the talismans they'd so eagerly protected.

Going back to his computer work, Discord was too distracted to notice when Aria Blaze picked the lock on the chain restraining her until he heard the door open and the sound of running footsteps. Furious, he looked at the other two captives but after a while, his temper cooled. What was he keeping these girls for anyway? They were powerless…

* * *

Twilight was sleeping on the couch in Rainbow Dash's living room when she was startled awake by someone banging loudly on the front door. Jumping up, she wasn't sure what to do, especially when she remembered that it could be Scootaloo's father on a rampage—a thought that had obviously occurred to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash who came down moments later, the first holding a hockey stick and the second holding a baseball bat in one hand and leaning on a crutch with the other.

Since Rainbow was wearing a pair of pajama shorts, it was the first time Twilight had really had a chance to see her friend's missing leg and she had a hard time not staring.

"Later, Twilight," Rainbow Dash snapped with more harshness then she'd intended as she led the trio towards the door. Slowly, she looked through the peephole, pulling back quickly with a confused look. Opening the door, she studied the disheveled teenager standing on the front porch. "Who are you?"

Aria looked at the others and felt suddenly very scared about talking but there was no choice. "My name is Aria Blaze. I'm one of the Sirens."

While Scootaloo looked puzzled, Twilight and Rainbow exchanged a wary glance.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, we'll see more of Discord and we'll hear more about the Sirens.


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So part of this was inspired by a certain piece of fanart which depicted Applejack as an alicorn princess and honestly, I can see that happening. So, I decided to toy with the idea in this chapter.

Also, as much as I like the story "Bride of Discord"—which is available as both a fan fiction and an audio drama—I don't like the idea of Fluttershy and Discord together. Now Discord and Pinkie Pie….different story.

And, hey… just for grins and giggles… I'll even give the Cutie Mark Crusaders their cutie marks.

Enjoy, y'all!

Chapter 5

* * *

_Back in Equestria…_

Not that anypony was going to admit it, but Twilight's 5 friends and trusted assistant, Spike, were starting to worry.

"It's just takin' a little longer than we thought," Applejack said in a would-be confident tone as she looked at the others. "I mean, Twilight's got one more day over there, right?"

"But what if it's too much for her to handle?" Rainbow Dash objected, doing a nervous zip around the room and barely missing Princesses Luna and Cadence as they entered the throne room of Friendship Castle. With a nervous laugh, Rainbow landed quickly on her own throne, looking sheepish. "Sorry, Princess Luna… Princess Cadence."

Cadence smiled warmly and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Rainbow Dash. Oh, and I never thanked you for that magnificent sonic rainboom you did at my wedding."

"My pleasure," Rainbow replied, brightly. Thinking on the wedding, though, her mood sank and she looked at the other two princesses. "Uh… if something _does_ happen to Twilight… Who's going to tell Shining Armor?"

"And who's going to take over as Princess of Friendship if Twilight never comes back?" Pinkie Pie blurted out before bursting into tears and running from the room.

When Cadance and Fluttershy started to go after her, Applejack held up a hoof as she caught a glimpse of Discord following Pinkie down the hallway. "Better let Discord handle this. Truth be told, I think he's got a major crush on the little filly."

Luna looked from Applejack to the others and after catching Cadance's eye and getting a nod in return, the Princess of the Moon turned back to the young mare. "Applejack, I wonder if we might speak in private?"

Applejack was taken aback by the request but shrugged and led the princess into the kitchen. "What's goin' on, Princess Luna?"

Luna's expression was one of both kindness and gravity as she spoke. "I understand your fears for Princess Twilight. In truth, Celestia and I are equally worried. We have even discussed who among you five would take her place."

"Now wait one apple-buckin' minute!" Applejack said, angrily. "Where do you get off talkin' about replacing Twilight? Twilight Sparkle IS coming back," she stated, firmly, stamping a hoof. "And that's that."

But rather than being upset or angry by the younger pony's outburst, Luna's gaze was gentle as she put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "I know how frustrated you must feel and I know you view my words as turning my back on Twilight. But hear me, Applejack… I have faith that your friend _will_ return. But in the meantime, somepony needs to rule in her place."

Curious about something Luna had said before, Applejack studied the princess as she asked, "You said you were considering all five of us, but… anypony in particular?"

The Princess of the Moon smiled warmly as she took a step back. "As a matter of fact… Celestia, Cadence, and I believe you are best suited to become the next princess."

For a moment, all Applejack could do was stare in disbelief. She didn't know what to say to that. "A-A…princess? Me? Why not Fluttershy or Rarity?" Frowning a moment in thought, she added, "Pinkie Pie would probably treat the whole thing as a big party and Rainbow Dash would probably be bored to tears." Sitting and thinking on the rest of her friends, Applejack sighed. "Rarity would probably let the position go to her head and Fluttershy… I love that filly but taking over a kingdom? I don't know if she'd be up to it."

"You are the only other pony who not only represents an Element of Harmony," Luna explained. "—but who has fully embraced the spirits of the other Elements." Taking a seat opposite the farm-pony, she went on. "I understand the burden which would be placed upon you and I have the utmost confidence you will rise to the occasion."

X

On one of the balconies overlooking Ponyville, Pinkie Pie leaned against the railing, glumly. Her usual bubbliness had been offset by the prospect of Twilight never coming back to Equestria…

"A little birdie told me you were feeling blue because of a missing friend," Discord said as he walked up behind the pink pony. When he received no reply, the draconequus frowned as he thought of the best way to cheer his friend up. With a sudden flash of brilliance, he snapped his fingers conjuring the perfect thing to—hopefully—snap Pinkie out of her funk. "You know, I was thinking about something you said a while ago and it occurred to me that I owe you something…" Holding out the cotton candy cloud glass filled with chocolate milk and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, Discord waited till Pinkie turned and grinned when she saw it.

"Oh, my gosh! I can't believe you remembered!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, grabbing the treat and downing it instantly before licking her lips. "Thanks, Discord."

"Now," Discord said, looking critically at Pinkie Pie. "What has you so upset lately?"

Pinkie seemed to deflate a bit but finally she said, "What if Twilight never comes back to Equestria? What if something happens to her? What if she's hurt or…?"

Discord wished he knew the perfect thing to say to cheer Pinkie Pie up but the fact was that the only thing that would completely bring her out of her mood would be Twilight Sparkle returning to Equestria safe and sound. "Twilight Sparkle is one of the most intelligent, resourceful ponies I have ever known," he admitted after Pinkie calmed down a bit. "Yes, it may take her a while, but I know she'll be back."

Pinkie knew the draconequus spoke the truth but she still would have felt better if Twilight was back. Mulling over her thoughts, however, she was caught off guard when Discord bowed and offered her his arm. "What are you doing?"

Discord beamed happily as Pinkie took the offered arm. "Think of this as a date, my dear. Something to get your mind off things."

Arm in hoof, the pony and draconequus headed out to the lake for their first date.

X

At dinner that night, the ponies were floored by the magnificent feast prepared by Discord. They were also surprised by the presence of not only Cadence and Luna but also Princess Celestia.

Once everyone was seated in the dining room, Applejack glanced briefly at the three princesses. She knew why they were all here and she also knew that she had to be the one to explain what was going on.

Still, she was relieved that the subject in question wasn't brought up during the fabulous dinner and dessert.

"So what brings you to Ponyville, Princess Celestia?" Fluttershy asked, cordially, as she finished her portion of Discord's superb pavlova. Where had he come up with the idea for such an extraordinary dessert?

Once everyone had finished eating and the plates had been cleared away, Celestia smiled serenely as she looked at the five friends and her two fellow princesses and proceeded to get down to business. "With Princess Twilight's absence, I have begun to consider who might step into her role if she does not return by tomorrow night."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rainbow Dash said, quickly, catching on to what the eldest princess was saying. "You're not talking about one of us, are you?"

"She is," Applejack replied, simply. With her friends all looking at her in disbelief she took a deep breath and continued. "Specifically… me." Looking from one pony to another, she expected the others to laugh the notion off or say that it was crazy.

What Applejack didn't expect was full agreement.

"Well, of course you'd be ideal, darling," Rarity said, brightly. "You're hardworking and dedicated. I mean, I for one can't imagine Sweet Apple Acres running as well as it does without you."

Fluttershy concurred. "You're always so nice to help any pony in need and you're always giving of yourself. I think you would be a wonderful princess."

Rainbow Dash, while happy for her friend, was slightly dubious. Turning to the princesses, she said, plainly, "Look, I'm happy you picked Applejack. I mean, I think she'd be an awesome princess. But she's got a life and a farm and a family that needs her to help run it. Did you guys even think about that would happen to Sweet Apple Acres if she's not there? Who's going to harvest the apples and make cider?"

"Hey, that's true!" Pinkie Pie piped up. "Besides, I really can't imagine Applejack just sitting around doing nothing in some castle while her family's working in the orchard. But on the other hoof, if she has wings and magic she can harvest the whole farm lickity split!"

But despite the encouragement of her friends, Applejack still seemed reluctant. "Look, y'all, I just don't think I'm princess material, you know?"

"That is precisely why I know you are ready, Applejack," Celestia replied, kindly. Waiting until the mare looked at her directly, she went on. "You and Twilight Sparkle share many of the same attributes and were you a unicorn, I would have taught you right alongside her."

That seemed to catch Applejack off guard and she didn't know what to say. She imagined growing up with Twilight, the two of them learning magic together… But there was something else that the farm-pony was starting to understand. Something she'd only now realized. "You knew from that first day what Twilight was going to become, didn't you?"

Celestia nodded once in confirmation. "When I first saw Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark, I knew that her destiny was to help wield the Elements of Harmony. But I also knew each of you were also meant to represent one of the Elements."

"How did you know?" Fluttershy asked, surprised by this newest revelation.

Celestia rose from her place at the table and led everyone into the throne room. Using her own magic, she marked the precise locations where Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight Sparkle had received their cutie marks.

When the five friends looked at the specific layout of the marks and then at the design of Twilight's cutie mark, they understood.

"It's the same," Rarity observed, amazement in her voice. "Extraordinary."

But the more she heard, the more Applejack felt like she was being pushed into something she didn't really want. "I-I have to get home, y'all. I'll see you in the morning." Before anypony could stop her, she'd raced out of the castle and down the road, slowing to a trot only when the farm came into view.

"Now this is where I belong," Applejack said aloud as she went up to the house, ears alert to the sounds of a party inside. "What the hay…?" Inside, she found Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo celebrating with cider and zap-apple pie. "What's all this?" Applejack asked, curious.

The reply was near deafening as the three young fillies all screamed together, "We got our cutie marks!"

"What?" Applejack replied, in surprise. Grinning widely, she said, "Well, dunk me in cider and call me a fritter! Let me see 'em."

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle turned to display the designs on their flanks.

"I was helping Granny Smith with the zap-apple pie," Apple bloom explained. "And I realized how much I enjoy making it. Then this here appeared." The design was the emblem of the Cutie Mark Crusaders over top of a zap-apple.

Scootaloo's also had the CMC emblem but with a scooter in the background.

Sweetie Belle's was the same emblem but the outer lines were dotted and there was a small pair of scissors cutting along the line. "Awesome, isn't it?" she said, studying her own mark. "When I originally designed the emblems, I had no idea it would become my cutie mark!"

"What about you, big sis?" Apple Bloom asked, happily. "What's new with you?"

Applejack looked at the excited fillies and knew that her news would upstage that of her sister and her friends. "Oh, it's nothing that can't wait until the mornin'," she insisted.


	6. Chapter 6

OKAY...Before I get into the author's notes and story chapter, I want to talk about something you may have heard about if you watch a lot or internet reviews-Fair Use. You may be thinking "I don't make internet videos. This doesn't apply to me." No, it does. Really. Most fanfic writers have no fear of copyright issues due to the fact that we know we're not in this for the money. We do it for fun, or because a movie, tv show, or book didn't go the way we wanted it.

But what if we did have to worry? What if JK Rowling suddenly decided that we shouldn't be allowed to do what we wanted with her intellectual property?

Here's something I know fanfiction writers hear a lot of—"Why are you ripping off someone else's work? Why don't you write original stuff?"

Honestly, in my opinion, fanfiction is a much bigger challenge than original writing. Some people may claim that it's easier, since you're just using someone else's characters and settings. And for some writers, this is true.

The good writers—and I mean the really good ones—suck you into their story just like you get sucked into the original work. That takes time, careful writing and editing, and capturing the spirit of the character. I always have tv episodes playing in the background when writing NCIS or Law and Order SVU because it helps me to hear the characters—how they sound, the language they use, everything.

Now there is the fact that fanfiction is different than YouTube content because fanfic doesn't generate income. While this is true, if copyright holders really wanted to make money off of lawsuits, forget the videos and focus on the stories.

Doug Walker's Nostalgia Critic videos aren't rewriting the Care Bears movies, but in fanfiction you can have Voldemort getting the Care Bear stare.

Lily Peet may be sharing her views and opinions of the latest episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but she's not making Applejack an alicorn.

Heck, Matt Guion compares books and movies and decides which is better which could tick off authors AND movie makers.

Fair use is NOT just about videos. It can affect ANYONE and the sooner we acknowledge that, the better chance we have of keeping it from affecting other avenues of creative expression.

Where's the fair use? #WTFU

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I'm planning out the next chapter which is going to be jumping back to the 'human' world. Meanwhile, in this chapter, Luna and Applejack talk in private.

And the snippet in italics is not mine. I did borrow the dialogue from an episode of 'Walker, Texas Ranger'. I was watching repeats of the show and I wanted to put quote in this story cause I thought it sounded appropriate.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6

Late that night, Applejack couldn't sleep and after more than an hour of tossing and turning, she slipped out of the house and quietly trotted out to the far edge of the orchard and up towards her favorite spot on the farm.

It was a lone hill with a view of all Sweet Apple Acres, the road to Ponyville, and the Everfree Forest. Any direction you looked, you had a clear view all around.

As the young country pony made her way up the hill, she remembered what her grandfather had told her, the first time he took her to this hill after a series of nightmares.

"_When you are troubled, find a place where you can see north, south, east and west. And no matter where that place may be, you will be the center of the world. You will be part of the world—twisted and braided, like the thread of a blanket…Different colors for different ponies and animals, but all part of the same thing. Then, even the biggest problem will shrink down to its proper size."_

Lost in the memory of her grandfather's words, Applejack was startled by the voice of Princess Luna as she reached the top of the hill. "Applejack. Please forgive my intrusion at this late hour."

"Er…of course, Princess Luna," Applejack replied, quickly, recovering from the shock of seeing the Princess of the Night on her property. "I just didn't expect anyone else to be here." After a moment, she asked, "Uh…Why are you here, if you don't mind me askin'?"

Luna's blush of embarrassment was only slightly detectable in the pale moonlight but still present and she looked over the whole of the Apple Family farm. "Sometimes I come here when I wish to be alone with my thoughts. I am alone, yet I can still see all around."

Applejack smiled as she sat next to the princess. "That's what my grandfather told me when I was a little filly. I'd had nightmares the week after my mom died and he brought me up here. He said that if I found a place that you could see all around, it would remind me that I'm just a part of the world." Studying Luna, she asked, "So…you want to share what you're thinkin' about?"

The older mare stood, walking about for a moment or two before she stopped, head bowed in shame. "For several weeks now I have been haunted by nightmares. Remembering the loneliness I felt as ponies celebrated my sister and I dwelled in shadow and night." Looking up at Applejack, Luna finally told the tale she'd been keeping secret for more than a thousand years. "The Sirens—three mystical creatures who endeavored to cause chaos and unrest amongst the citizens of Equestria. My sister and I fought against them before they were sent to another dimension by Starswirl the Bearded. Before they were defeated, however, I felt their song sowing the seeds of anger and resentment inside me."

Pacing again, Luna continued her story. "Some time later, Discord—before Celestia and I used the Elements of Harmony to defeat him—told me that I was less than my sister… Less powerful, less beloved… His words, the Sirens' magic… it consumed me until all that was left was anger and pain."

Applejack knew the cliffnotes version of Princess Luna's turn to Nightmare Moon, but she realized that now she was hearing Luna's side of the tale. Listening as Luna carried on the tale, even talking about how Celestia had allowed Equestria to remain in constant night for nearly a week before confronting her sister.

"But as the darkness took hold, I became a monster," Luna concluded, as she sat on the grass, head again bowed in shame. "A monster borne of night and evil, dedicated to making the world as cold as I had become."

The silence grew heavy between the two mares and after a few minutes, Luna voice shook as she spoke. "I do not deserve to be forgiven. I do not deserve to be happy… to be loved. All I can ever hope to be is… a creature of night and darkness." Slumping down to the ground, she cried, turning away from Applejack.

But Applejack didn't turn away from Luna. Putting a hoof on the princess's shoulder, she gave a sad smile. "Luna, you're bein' too hard on yourself, sugar cube," she said, soothingly. When Luna looked up, tears still running down her face, Applejack looked back towards the house. "My sister and her friends got their cutie marks today," she said, pride in her voice. "I know Apple Bloom has been frettin' that they'd never get them." Giving a warm smile to Luna, she added, "Apple Bloom told me that you've visited all three fillies in their dreams. You helped them find their paths. Tonight, Scootaloo said that after they got their marks that they were worried that it meant that they didn't have a purpose outside of that. But then my little sister said that maybe they could also help other fillies find their real talents."

"I know you are trying to help," Luna said, glumly. "To show me I have done good in the world, but I…"

"My point is," Applejack pressed on. "—that you helped those three become who they're meant to be. Would Nightmare Moon have given a single care about three blank flank fillies? _You_ cared. You saw ponies dealin' with their own problems and you wanted to help. That doesn't make you a monster. It makes you someone others can look to for guidance."

Luna sat up, wiping her eyes and nodding slowly. "You are right, Applejack. I would not have cared about three young fillies as Nightmare Moon. I want to help as many ponies as I can. I want to prove that I have left the path of evil."

Seeing that the princess's mood was starting to lift, Applejack looked slightly worried as she added, "Luna… I really think you need to start talkin' to Celestia about what you're goin' through." But the country pony jumped back when Luna suddenly sprang up, wings out as she hovered in midair, her eyes full of sudden fear and panic.

"No!" Luna exclaimed, urgently. "You cannot tell my sister!"

But Applejack stood firm. "Luna, if I knew Apple Bloom was hurtin' as bad as you are, I would do whatever it took to help her. Same as Big Macintosh would do for me. Celestia's your big sister. She loves you."

Settling back down on the grassy hill, Luna knew Applejack was right. "In truth, I have been afraid to bring my problems to my sister," she confessed. "I'm afraid it will give her reason to not trust me anymore. That to protect the ponies of Equestria, she'll…" Looking up at the moon, she sighed.

Knowing that she might be crossing a line with the princess but also knowing that there wasn't much choice, AJ went on. "Celestia banished you to the moon because you left her no choice. Maybe if the two of you had talked it out… like you need to do now, things wouldn't have ended so badly."

Luna nodded again, Applejack's words ringing with honesty. "You are a good friend, Applejack. I am grateful for your words of advice."

"Ah, shucks," Applejack said, blushing a bit. But she looked up sharply when she felt something building inside. It felt like some great magical force fighting to get out and in a flash of orange light, she felt herself lifted up into the air as the magic within suddenly burst out of her. When the light faded, Applejack looked around, eyes wide as she saw her brand new wings. "What in tarnation…?"

But Luna understood immediately what had happened and bowed respectfully to Applejack. "A princess must show that she is capable of guidance and counsel as well as compassion and honesty." Studying her friend as the younger pony tentatively flapped her wings, rising into the air. "It seems as though you have reached the second stage of your ascension to royalty."

Applejack tried landing but she ended up more crashing instead. As she studied the wings again, she looked wary as she asked, "So… what exactly do I have to do before I become a full-blown alicorn?"

* * *

A/N: So...a question for my readers...how should Applejack earn her horn?


	7. Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So there are a few elements—no pun intended—that I'm borrowing from 'Equestria Girls: Friendship Games'. And speaking of Elements, they're in here, too—and very important to the story.

As for the songs mentioned near the end, I'm not writing anything new. I'll be using actual songs from the show.

Chapter 7

* * *

_In the human world…_

'**I can NOT believe you are even **_**thinking**_** about trusting her!'** Rainbow Dash signed angrily, looking at her friends.

After Aria Blaze had shown up at Rainbow's house last night, Twilight had called the rest of their friends for an emergency meeting first thing in the morning.

Now, while the Main 6 held a—mostly—silent conference in the dining room about what to do about the Sirens, Aria sat on the stairs in the hallway, waiting to hear what the others decided.

'**I can't believe **_**you**_**, Rainbow Dash!' **Fluttershy signed, heatedly. **'Aria has been held prisoner for who knows how long. We need to help her and the others. It's the right thing to do, and you know it. Even if she is one of the Sirens, that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve to be shown kindness.'**

At that moment, a pale yellow glow seemed to emanate from Fluttershy and she levitated into the air as her pony ears came out along with her wings and extended ponytail.

The others gasped in amazement as Fluttershy floated back down, looking amazed at the transformation. "Oh, my… But how…?"

"I have no idea…" Twilight said in amazement as she studied her friend.

Rarity seemed perplexed as well, but the event also reminded her of something and she dug in her bag for the pendants she'd made for the others. "Remember when you said that the Discord in your world was only defeated with the Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight took the small box Rarity handed her and opened it, looking at the light purple star. As she picked it up, she felt the same rush of warmth and power she always felt when she'd worn her Element crown back in Equestria.

As Applejack took her pendant, she smiled at her friend. "You didn't have to do all this, Rarity."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Applejack," Rarity insisted as the others donned their pendants. "Doing something special for my friends is what I live for." Donning her own—a dark purple diamond—she looked surprised as she was enveloped in a lavender glow and—just like Fluttershy a moment ago—rose into the air as her hair magically grew back to its full length, complete with ponytail, and her pony ears appeared as well.

"Okay…Now this is getting weird," Rainbow Dash said, looking at the others.

But Twilight was starting to understand what was going on. Just like when she and her friends had first discovered the Elements of Harmony and received their keys to the magical chest, each person had to embrace their Element. "Once you demonstrated your Element of Harmony," Twilight explained, "-you…?" Frowning, she asked, "What do we call this? Pony up?"

"I guess," Sunset Shimmer shrugged, fingering her own pendant with a deflated expression. She knew full well that there were only 6 Elements of Harmony, which meant that she was left out again.

The magic faded from Fluttershy and Rarity, and while Rarity looked disappointed, she also seemed to be excited. But before she could say anything regarding the event, she saw Fluttershy's look of panic as she started to tremble, her eyes rolling back. "Fluttershy!"

Sunset dashed around to her friend, helping her to the ground as the others backed away, while Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie moved the table and chairs away from Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer.

Twilight couldn't help staring at Fluttershy as she continued seizing. She'd never seen anything like it before and she wanted to do something to help but when she tried to get closer, Rainbow Dash held her back. "Rainbow, we have to do something!" Twilight argued, watching Fluttershy thrash about on the floor.

"There's nothing we _can_ do," Rainbow replied, sadly. "You just have to let it happen. The seizures usually only last 3 or 4 minutes."

It seemed to take an hour for Fluttershy to get through the seizure, and when she stopped shaking, she looked first at Sunset Shimmer who gave her a reassuring smile before helping her to her feet. "We're just gonna go upstairs, okay?" Sunset said, leading Fluttershy out of the room.

After a few moments, Aria came into the dining room looking worried. After being held prisoner for so long, she and her fellow Sirens had stopped trying to work together to escape and had started turning on one another. Then Discord had started feeding on their animosity for one another…

On the other hand, here were 7 friends who supported one another and were trying to work together to defeat an enemy. Aria wanted to be a part of that. She could sense that together, these 7 held a power even stronger than anything the Sirens had had ever had access to.

"Is your friend okay?" Aria asked, genuine concern in her voice.

Rainbow Dash looked surprised that the powerless Siren even cared but seeing the other teenager's expression, Rainbow nodded. "She'll be fine." Looking at the others, she went on. "But first, we need to figure out how to stop Discord."

Aria said nothing as Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity started talking about plans, but gathering her courage, she said, "I want to help. I've never…" With a sigh, she finished, "I've never had a real friend before."

Applejack gave her a smile as moved over to let Aria sit down next to her. "Well, now you do."

Aria cautiously sat down, part of her wary that this was all a trap. "Are you sure? Even if I'm one of the Sirens?"

"Absolutely," AJ replied. "You need help and we're here to do just that. Honest."

As soon as the word 'honest' left Applejack's lips, she glowed orange and rose up, her pony ears appearing as her ponytail extended into the longer braid. When she floated back down into the wheelchair, she said, "So…what are we going to do about Discord?"

"I think the first thing we need to do is learn more about those pendants," Twilight replied, looking at Aria. "How their power works… how we can get them back."

Rarity's watch beeped, and when she looked at it, she frowned in dismay. "I wish I could stay and help, but I've got to get to the hospital. I've got a treatment this morning in an hour."

Thinking about their two friends upstairs, Applejack added, "You should take Fluttershy with you, just so she can get checked out. I know she's probably fine, but still."

Once Rarity had left, Pinkie Pie had a sudden idea and quickly inspected Rainbow Dash's cabinets and pantry before pulling out ingredients for pancakes.

When Sunset Shimmer came back in the dining room, she went to work helping Pinkie while listening to Aria and Twilight talk about the magical pendants that gave the Sirens their power.

After measuring out ingredients and scrounging up a package of chocolate chips to mix into the batter, Pinkie looked at Sunset who seemed melancholy. **'What's up with you, Sunset? You seem bummed out.'**

Glancing over at the table, Sunset shrugged as she pulled out two skillets from the cabinet and put them on the stove. **'It's nothing. I just don't know how I fit in with you all sometimes. Especially with Twilight here… I mean, there are only six Elements of Harmony. So what part do I play in all this?'**

Thinking hard for a moment as she mixed batter and folded in the chocolate chips, Pinkie tried to come up with a way to cheer Sunset Shimmer up. But as she flipped the first batches of pancakes, she had a flash of inspiration as she grabbed two extra spoons from the utensil drawer and started tapping out a beat on the counter.

At the kitchen table, Twilight watched Pinkie with interest and after a while, the deaf teenager's tapping developed more into a noticeable rhythm.

"Wait…" Rainbow Dash said, an idea forming in her mind. Looking at Aria Blaze, she said, "Didn't you say that you and the other two Sirens used music to charge up your magic?"

Aria nodded, feeling unsure about where the conversation was going. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

Twilight and Rainbow exchanged a look and a smile before turning to Pinkie Pie who was drumming with enthusiasm at the kitchen counter. "Because I think we just figured out how to stop Discord," Twilight replied as Pinkie's bubbly laughter filled the room and her pony ears and ponytail appeared.

* * *

Released from Discord's home, Adagio Dazzle and Sonata Dusk didn't bother to pay attention to where they were going, just as long as it was far away from their captor.

Discord had let them go rather unceremoniously, all but throwing the teenage girls out of the house, laughing as he taunted them with their pendants.

"So what's the plan?" Sonata asked, as the two headed into town. "We can't do anything without our pendants, Adagio."

Adagio stopped and whirled around on Sonata, grabbing her roughly. "You think I don't know that? We are now even more helpless than we were before, even if Aria was here to help us."

"If only we could get back to Equestria," Sonata mused out loud. "Then we could get our original power back without the amulets."

At first, Adagio felt her anger rising at her cohort's plan, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was a good plan. "That night in the diner. There IS Equestrian magic here and if we can find it, we can use it to get our full power back."

Spotting a food truck as the pair headed down the street, Sonata said, "Okay, but we can get our power back _after_ lunch, right?" Pointing to the truck, she said, dreamily, "It's Taco Tuesday!"

Adagio groaned loudly as she did a facepalm.

* * *

"I know something's bothering you," Twilight said as she and Sunset Shimmer cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast.

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were out in the garage figuring out band details and music with Aria Blaze, but Sunset had volunteered to clean up on her own.

Sensing her friend was bothered by something, Twilight had offered to help as well.

Sunset sighed as she put ingredients and syrups away and said, dejectedly, "There are only 6 Elements of Harmony, you know. And now there's 7 of us, not including Aria." Fingering the pendant she wore, she turned to Twilight and went on. "I may be part of the group, but I'll always be on the outside."

Twilight could tell that her friend needed reassurance, but remembering that honesty was part of being both a friend and a princess, she didn't want to give Sunset false hope. "You're not on the outside, Sunset Shimmer," Twilight replied, firmly. When Sunset looked dubious at that statement, the Equestrian princess went on. "You've been here helping the others while I've been in Equestria. You've seen our friends through all their pain and struggles. _I'm_ the one on the outside. I haven't been here helping Pinkie Pie learn sign language or watching Fluttershy have a seizure." Putting a hand on Sunset's shoulder, Twilight added, "_You're_ the one who has been there for everyone."

Sunset didn't say anything as she thought about Twilight's words. There was truth there—Sunset had always done her best to help her friends through their various maladies and even had tried to make amends to the other students at Canterlot High School. And with the new year starting in a matter of days, she would once again be thrust into the middle of a group of people she had once tried to control.

"Hey, are you guys done in here?" Rainbow Dash said, poking her head into the kitchen. When Sunset and Twilight both nodded, Rainbow added, "Good cause we could use some help writing some songs to try playing against Discord."

When the three teenagers joined the others in the garage, Applejack spoke up first, "Okay, y'all… Each of us needs to write a song and then once we find Discord we'll need to get everyone together to use it against him." Looking to Aria, she added, "Sound like a plan?"

"I can't think of anything better," Aria replied with a shrug.

"Oh, and let me guess," said a voice coming from the open garage door. "Your song will be about love and friendship?" The stranger who spoke scoffed at the very idea. "You all have no idea what you're dealing with. Do they, Aria?"

Applejack looked from the two strange girls to Aria who looked worried. "Are these two friends of yours, Aria?"

"Sort of," Aria replied, feeling suddenly torn between her new friends and her fellow sirens.

"Uh-huh," Rainbow Dash said, hearing the hesitation in Aria's voice and turning to the two new girls whom she guessed were the other two sirens. "Well, 'sort of' doesn't cut it. And if Aria doesn't want you around then neither do we."

Adagio smiled wickedly as she looked from Aria to Rainbow Dash. "Listen… We want to get those pendants away from Discord just as much as you do. The thing is," she added, stepping closer to Rainbow. "—we can't do it with just two. We need a third." Circling Rainbow Dash, she went on. "Someone who can be bold, daring… Someone who knows how to steal the show and make an entrance."

Rainbow Dash looked from the two Sirens to her friends and back again before giving them a grin. "Nice try. But I'm not leaving my friends." Looking at Aria as well, she added, "Any of them." As she turned back to Adagio, Rainbow was enveloped in a blue glow and she levitated in the air before her pony ears, tail, and wings appeared. Doing a quick flying zip outside, she beamed as she flapped her wings to hover midair. "Oh, dude! Check me out!"

But Adagio wasn't paying attention to Rainbow Dash at the moment. Oh, sure the demonstration of Equestrian magic had not gone unnoticed, but as she turned her focus on Aria, her face twisted in rage as she saw that the third Siren was clearly standing firm with the others. "Fine," Adagio said, her voice filled with barely controlled anger. "You win this round. But once Sonata and I have our power back, we are going to destroy you, too."

"How are we going to get our power back if there's just two of us?" Sonata asked Adagio, frowning slightly.

With a growl of frustration, Adagio Dazzle dragged her cohort away, vowing revenge against the group that had dared challenge her.

Once the other two Sirens were gone, Rainbow Dash landed and when her wings, pony ears, and ponytail had disappeared, she grabbed a few pads of notebook paper and handed them out. "Okay, guys—you heard 'em. Those two are going to be after the pendants, too, so we need to get them first. So let's come up with an awesome song and beat them to it!"

Sunset Shimmer hesitantly took one of the old notepads and a pen, unsure of how to write a song to battle evil Equestrian magic. But as she thought about her own thoughts and fears, a melody formed in her mind and the words followed. With a tiny smile, she began to put pen to paper.

Aria was also reluctant to try writing a song because most of the time, her music was used to control others or create negative energy. The idea of coming up with a song about coming together and friendship was rather alien to her. But considering how she was able to stand up to Adagio only moments ago, she let that feeling be her inspiration.


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I'm kind of planning on tweaking the end of 'Rainbow Rocks' _slightly_. I love the ending and I'm not planning on changing the big save, don't worry.

This chapter is short, I know, but next one is going to be leading up to the big finish, so I'm doing some of the more lighthearted stuff before the Rainbooms take on Discord.

Chapter 8

Around 4 that afternoon, the band—the Rainbooms—had several songs that seemed to work and Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie had even figured out instruments. "We'll still need to figure out what Rarity and Fluttershy are going to play," Sunset pointed out, not wanting to rain on anybody's parade.

"Well, in the meantime," Applejack said as her stomach gave a low rumble, "I'm famished. Anyone else in the mood for a burger binge?"

Twilight looked slightly hesitant but after a moment, she asked, "Know anyone who makes a good veggie burger?" She'd been expecting a few jokes, but instead, she received an excited reply from Pinkie.

"Ooh! Ooh! What about Up In a Flash Burgerz?" Pinkie replied, cheerfully. "They have the best vegetarian food in town!"

"You just like them because of the 5 different kinds of French Fries and deep-fried Oreos," Applejack said, grinning at her friend. Turning to Twilight, she added, "Their food is awesome, though. Sound like a plan?"

Twilight nodded in agreement and Rainbow Dash pulled out her cell phone and texted Rarity and Fluttershy about the plans. After a few minutes, Rainbow looked at the others. "Rarity and Fluttershy will meet us there." Giving a knowing grin to her friends, she added, "Fluttershy said she was definitely feeling hungry."

Seeing that Twilight Sparkle didn't understand the in-joke, Sunset Shimmer smiled and explained. "Usually after recovering from a seizure, Fluttershy usually has a really big appetite. One time, she ate a whole large pizza all by herself."

After everyone headed out of the garage and Rainbow Dash locked the door, she waited until she noticed that Twilight and Aria were deep into a discussion about Equestrian magic before silently signing to Applejack. **'So are you going to tell Twilight about a certain someone who works at Up In a Flash?'**

Shaking her head slightly, Applejack mouthed the word 'surprise' before nodding at Twilight.

With a wink, Rainbow let her friend know she understood.

xx

The restaurant was a 'build your own' burger place with almost 100 different variations and lists of the numerous types of burger patties, cheeses, toppings, extras, and bun styles.

Then, there was the choice of fries and dipping sauces.

Twilight was in awe of the choices and asked each of her friends what they liked. When it was her turn to order, she went with a mushroom burger on a pretzel roll with fontina cheese, spinach, arugula, ranch dressing, and green onions.

As she went to the drink machine and got a large soda, Twilight nearly dropped her cup when a familiar voice spoke up.

"Twilight! What are you doing here?" Flash Sentry said, brightly as he saw the purple haired Equestrian princess.

Twilight blushed as she set her tray down and turned to face Flash. "I-It's great to see you, too, Flash. What have you been up to?"

Flash shrugged, trying to hide how nervous he was. "Just working. My parents own this place, you know."

"Actually, I didn't," Twilight replied, looking over at her friends who were looking away from her, though all of them had smirks on their faces. "Though, apparently I'm the only one."

The two teenagers just stood staring at one another for a moment before Flash Sentry said, "I really missed you, Twilight. And I'm really glad you're here."

Twlight's smile was warm as she nodded. "Me, too," she replied, sincerely. "I'm staying…in town for a while. Maybe we could get together while I'm here?"

"Yeah, of course. Sounds great. I'll… pick you up tomorrow at 6?" Flash said, hopefully.

"Sounds perfect," Twilight agreed, still grinning as she left Flash and joined her friends.

Rarity cupped a hand to her ear as Twilight sat down and said, "Are those wedding bells I hear in the future?"

"It's just a date," Twilight replied, not meeting anyone's eye.

"Uh-huh," Applejack said, a knowing look on her face. Changing the subject, she outlined the plan to defeat Discord to Fluttershy and Rarity, both of whom seemed eager at the idea of being in a band. Rarity was excited at Pinkie Pie's suggestion to play a synthesizer keyboard and Fluttershy was keen to play tambourine.

But one question remained—how were they supposed to confront Discord without giving away their plan?

Rarity thought hard about things and finally replied, "We have to do it at Sweet Apple Acres. Discord is after the farm for some reason. If he comes out there, we can be in the barn ready to play."

Twilight turned to Aria Blaze who seemed unsure about her part in all this. "Aria, you don't have to help us by being in the band. You've already done enough by telling us about those gems and how Discord is planning to use them."

Aria, however, wasn't so sure her role was complete and she said as much to the group. "And don't forget that Adagio and Sonata are still trying to get their hands on the gems again. They can use the magic to get back to full power and even Discord won't be able to stop them."

It was clear that the takedown would be a group effort, but the next question started a new disagreement. "Which song are we going to use to take Discord down?" Fluttershy asked, curiously.

"I wrote this really cool song called 'Awesome As I Want to Be'," Rainbow Dash cut in immediately. "It's got this totally sweet percussion beat to it that Pinkie would be awesome at."

Rarity frowned at the idea and after taking a sip of her soda, she rolled her eyes. "Something like this take _finesse_, Rainbow Dash. I'm certain I can come up with something. Ooh! And some new outfits!"

Applejack was not amused by the suggestions of the fashionista and said so. "Rarity, my family's _farm and livelihood_ are at stake here! No one cares about style or finesse! We need to shut Discord down and we need a song that's got heart and soul to it!"

"What about _my _song?" Pinkie Pie piped up. "I mean, a band is supposed to be fun and make people smile, right? Or did all of you miss that part?"

The arguments kept going as Aria Blaze, Twilight Sparkle, and Sunset shimmer watched, unable to get a word in edgewise.

But after nearly 10 minutes, Aria felt some familiar presence nearby and snapped, "All of you, stop it!" When the others looked about to start turning on her, she shushed them. "I think Adagio and Sonata are close and if it's not them, then it's Discord. And if _he's_ here, that means he could be feeding off your anger and the magic you guys have."

Rainbow Dash was about to start arguing again, but this time it was Sunset Shimmer who cut in. "Aria is right. We have to work together on this. If Discord feeds off of our magic, then he may become too strong for us to defeat him."

Ever the levelheaded one, Twilight nodded in agreement. "Let's finish eating and take a little time to cool down," she suggested. "Then we'll go to Sweet Apple Acres and start practicing a couple of the songs. Okay?"

X

Outside the restaurant, Discord grinned evilly as he walked away and towards his home. He'd let those stupid teenage girls and the former Siren think that they actually stood a chance of defeating him tonight.

Tomorrow evening, he'd put the girls in their places and use their magic to take over the town. Not the world…yet. He had to have something to do next week, after all…

_Back in Equestria…._

Applejack's hopes of keeping her new wings hidden were dashed the second Big Macintosh had knocked over a crate of empty zapp apple jam jars, scaring her and making her shoot up in the air, flapping her wings and hovering for a minute or two.

"What in Equestria happened to you?" Granny Smith had exclaimed, studying her granddaughter's wings. Squinting at Applejack, she asked, "Twilight Sparkle wasn't experimenting with some new spell on you, was she?"

"Princess Twilight is… out of town, Granny," Applejack replied, not meeting her family's looks. Displaying her wings for a moment, she shrugged. "As for these, it's…complicated."

"Does this have anything to do with why you were actin' so weird last night?" Apple Bloom asked, eying her big sister suspiciously. "'Cause you were lookin' like there was something you wanted to tell us."

And so, Applejack told her family about talking with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and the first stage of her transformation into an alicorn. When she was done, she looked apologeticly at her little sister. "I know I should have told y'all last night, but you were so excited about getting' your cutie mark, sugar cube, I could steal the spotlight from you." Looking from Apple Bloom's cutie mark to her new wings, Applejack smiled warmly. "Guess both of us are growing up a bit more, huh?"

Granny Smith's eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Applejack, pride and love on every inch of her wizened face. "Well, I want to be the first to say that I'm mighty proud of you, Applejack. And if yer mama and daddy were still here I know they'd feel the same way."

At the mention of her parents, Applejack's ears drooped a bit, especially when she glanced at Apple Bloom. The young filly had never known her parents since Honeycrisp had died in childbirth and Cider had disappeared very shortly afterwards and hadn't been heard from since.

As if sensing her big sister's feelings, Apple Bloom seemed to perk up slightly as she asked, "So…can we see you fly around the orchard?"

"Yeah, Applejack," Big Macintosh said, brightly, wanting to raise his younger sister's mood. "Let's see if you can still outbuck me with those wings."

Applejack's competitive side rose to the surface and she grinned as she cocked her hat smartly. "Oh, you're on, big brother. Just try to keep up!"


End file.
